Getty George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers doing the Cero Miedo of Penta El Zero M.
While most of the NFL world is currently on holiday, with the first wave of free agency officially passed and the draft a few weeks away, players have been finding creative ways to fill their time, with San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle deciding to travel a few hours south of Santa Clara County to attend WrestleMania 39 and take part in an impromptu match with The Miz and Pat McAfee.
Watching the show from ringside, The Miz, who was hosting “The Showcase of the Immortals,” was challenged to a surprise match with a returning McAfee, and in his attempt to get away, “The A-Lister” got into it with Kittle, who jumped over the barricade and laid out the Grand Slam Champion with a clothesline.
When asked about having a potential future in wrestling, be that in WWE or elsewhere, by the “Murph & Mac Show,” Kittle decided to keep the door open on a future career in the squared circle.
“You never know. I’m open to all opportunities,” Kittle said via Fightful.
A long-time wrestling fan who famously has a long-standing relationship with Pentagon Jr., the current Ring of Honor Tag Team Champion who works for AEW as part of The Lucha Brothers alongside his real brother Rey Fenix, Kittle has expressed an interest in wrestling in the past, as careers in football are far shorter than within the squared circle. If Kittle opted to transition from the gridiron to the mat, at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, he’d already be off to a fantastic start.
The San Francisco 49ers TE had Some Harsh Words for Miz
Afforded a chance to talk to WWE backstage reporter Cathy Kelley on Night 1 of WrestleMania 39 about his surprise match, Kittle was asked how it felt to play a pretty substantial role in a match at “The Showcase of the Immortals.”
“Wow, Kittle said. “You know, sometimes I just pinch myself and ask if I’m dreaming. And I still think I’m dreaming, I mean, I’m at WrestleMania with Pat McAfee, beating The Miz? What else could I want to do tonight? You know?”
When Kelley noted that The Miz kind of antagonized Kittle into action, the All-Pro tight end agreed.
“He did,” Kittle agreed. “I mean, he was asking for it, you know? I mean, he’s just a Hollywood guy, likes to wear sunglasses inside in the dark, I mean, that’s just what The Miz does. And he just needs to be put in his place sometimes, you know? I mean, he’s great on the mic but hey, those ‘little tiny balls’ need some help.”
Goodness, if Kittle is able to naturally deliver such a concise, fiery promo immediately after performing in front of 80,000 fans, he might be even more of a natural WWE performer than his clothesline would suggest.
Pat McAfee on How he Kept His WrestleMania Match a Surprise
Discussing how his match at WrestleMania 39, which was not advertised, came together, McAfee disclosed to the crew on his titular show the lengths everyone went to in order to keep things under wraps.
“There were three people that knew, in the whole world, that was going to be a situation for a little bit,” McAfee said via Fightful. “We needed the moment to pop up. Finally, when Miz said, ‘I sent out an open challenge.’ All parties were like, ‘Now is the time.’ Michael Cole had no idea I was there. He walked by the bus one time, actually seen him. Haven’t seen that guy in a long time, miss that guy, would like to talk to that guy. Can’t because we don’t know if the moment is going to come, and I don’t want to distract him. Obviously, Miz did not know until Saturday. For shoot. When my music hit is near when Miz found out. He might have thought, ‘is there somebody back there who wants to come dance?’ He never expected it to be me”
If The Miz didn’t know he would be working a match with McAfee, he definitely didn’t expect to take a charge from a 6-foot-4, 250-pound NFL All-Pro. That surprise, which was palpable for all 80,000 fans in attendance, really made for a classic WrestleMania moment.